The arts are a fundamental method of discovery at the Exploratorium. We engage artists in every facet of our work to inspire curiosity and to further an interdisciplinary approach to seeing and understanding the world.
From creating long-lasting exhibits on our museum floor to developing unforgettable performances in our public spaces, the Exploratorium has presented the work of hundreds of artists working at the intersection of art, science, and learning. Please browse this video collection of arts related work to see a sample of our diverse arts programming.

Inspired by the works of Bob Miller (1935–2007), natural philosopher, light artist, and Exploratorium icon, Actual Reality invites us to wade into a sea of images and sounds and, through attention, catch slippery, individual moments of reality.
During this multimedia performance, a video recreating one of Miller’s “Light Walks”—outdoor explorations of sunlight resolving into images through both naturally occurring pinholes and ingenious props—flows behind musicians improvising from a simple, expansive score. Through a combination of live performance and technological interventions—including a heliostat prototype Miller originally used for tracking the sun—lucky dragons playfully resolves these visual and aural streams into unique experiences of repeating elements.
Actual Reality is presented in conjunction with "Light Walk: The Work of Bob Miller," an exhibition at the San Francisco Public Library on view through February 5, 2014.
lucky dragons is an ongoing collaboration between Los Angeles–based artists Sarah Rara and Luke Fischbeck. Active since 2000, lucky dragons is known for an open and participatory approach to making music, radically inclusive live shows, and playful, humanistic use of digital tools. luckydragons.org

Light Walk captures former Exploratorium artist and "natural philosopher" Bob Miller (1935-2007) leading a portion of his fabled walk, a blend of performance art and radical pedagogy that evolved into an Exploratorium institution. Developed over many years, Bob's walk was continually nourished by the observations, questions, and astonishment of visitors, teachers, and museum staff.

Arts at the Exploratorium: We Make the Treasure by Paul Ramirez Jonas(Clip)

Running Time:00:03:14

We Make the Treasure
by Paul Ramirez Jonas
June 19, 2014–January 2015
Location: Exploratorium Pier 15
Admission: Free
The second installment in the Over the Water series of large-scale, commissioned artworks.
Explore the value of objects lost and recovered, above and below the water line, at We Make the Treasure, the second installment in our Over the Water series of large-scale commissioned artworks. By traversing layers of present-day experience and forgotten history, we invite you to investigate the visible and invisible forces that make something a treasure.
Ephemeral, pulsing lines of air bubbles break the surface of the water between Piers 15 and 17, suggesting the ghostly outline of the Beeswing, a schooner that sank on February 17, 1863, as it returned to San Francisco from Monterey. Near the bubbling wreck is a rowboat loaded with mysterious cargo. Visitors are invited to interact with the imagined treasure of the Beeswing by using a crane to find and exchange a haul comprised of coin-sized objects of indeterminate value.
We Make the Treasure is curated by the Exploratorium’s Center for Art & Inquiry in collaboration with the Studio for Public Space. Nato Thompson, chief curator of Creative Time in New York, served as advising curator.

Arts at the Exploratorium: The Best Things in Museums are the Windows(Clip)

Running Time:00:24:42

This short documentary chronicles the people, places, things, and ideas at the core of The Windows, a four-day trek from the back deck of the Exploratorium to the top of Mount Diablo. Led by artist Harrell Fletcher and the Exploratorium's Center for Art & Inquiry in the summer of 2013, the walk involved a dozen hikers and dozens more participants and learning experiences en route to the summit.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/arts/the-windows

British artist and tinkerer Tim Hunkin takes a break from installing his latest creation for the Exploratorium — a massive, whimsical, kinetically sculptural clock featuring legions of tiny tinkerers at work — to discuss the clock’s inspiration and evolution over a proper English cup of tea.

The Exploratorium has commissioned San Francisco-based filmmaker Paul Clipson to create an abstract 16mm film study of the area surrounding our new downtown waterfront site at Pier 15. The film showcases Clipson's extraordinary treatment of the complex natural and cultural systems in the urban landscape, from the ephemeral rhythms of light and water to the rigid order of crosswalks and skyscrapers. Clipson’s work generally involves live collaborative performances with sound artists and musicians. For this film, an original soundtrack will be written and performed by composer Tashi Wada.

Arts at the Exploratorium: Miwa Matreyek: Live at the Exploratorium(Clip)

Running Time:00:01:39

As a part of the Exploratorium's opening ceremonies, Miwa Matreyek performed in our Outdoor Gallery on April 17, 2013. In her live performance, Matreyek interacted with beautifully expressed cinematic narratives that unfolded as wondrous journeys, exploring nature and the human imagination.

For thousands of years, Indian women have created these elaborate geometric designs using a variety of natural materials—flowers, spices, sand, and natural pigment—to mark auspicious occasions, celebrations, and milestones.

Webcasts made possible through
the generosity of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The Jim Clark
Endowment for Internet Education, the McBean Family Foundation,.and the Corporation for Educational Networks Initiatives in California (CENIC).